Project Details
Projekt Print View

Anti-inflammatory pathways of catecholaminergic, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) - positive cells in human and experimental arthritis

Subject Area Rheumatology
Term from 2013 to 2018
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 243785207
 
Final Report Year 2019

Final Report Abstract

During the last two decades, neuroendocrine immune interactions became more and more relevant in understanding pathophysiology of rheumatic diseases. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared to osteoarthritis (OA), a massive loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) nerve fibers and a clear increase of TH+ cells in inflamed synovial tissue of humans were found. The role of these TH+ cells was completely unclear that time. We demonstrated that different cells of the synovium (macrophages, fibroblasts, B cells, neutrophils, mast cells) express TH and can produce catecholamines in RA. Due to difficulties in TH+-cell separation, we analyzed mixed synoviocytes in further experiments. Mixed human synoviocytes express specific adrenoceptors (ARs), however, blockade of these receptors did not change secretion of TNF. This was a first indication that classical signaling through the β-adrenoceptor does not work. We were able to confirm the clear anti-inflammatory effect of TH+ cells in experimental arthritis using adoptively transferred TH+ cells, generated from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Treatment of synovial cells with different receptor agonists and antagonists showed no typical GalphaS signaling and respective anti-inflammatory effects. This changed our goals completely. We demonstrated a clear defect of canonical GalphaS signaling in mixed synovial cells that was particularly relevant under hypoxia. In addition, TNF was an inhibitor of induced TH+ sympathetic cells. Since cell transplantation with TH+ cells might be a therapeutic option, TNF-induced inhibition of these cells must be viewed as drawback. TNF is most probably high in inflamed synovial tissue so that TH+ cells will possibly lose their antiinflammatory character. This might be different under other conditions with less inflammation.

Publications

 
 

Additional Information

Textvergrößerung und Kontrastanpassung